Manaslu Circuit Trek 15 Days

You will arrive in Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal, through Tribhuvan International Airport. After landing, our representative will greet you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel (about a 30-minute drive). Upon arrival, you will receive a warm welcome from the hotel staff, who may offer traditional flower garlands. They will assist you with check-in so you can relax and freshen up.

Later, you will meet the Kora Adventure team for a short Manaslu Circuit Trek briefing, where you will receive important information about your trip and be introduced to your guide. Afterward, you may explore the lively streets of Thamel, a popular area filled with shops, cafes, and stores selling trekking gear. In the evening, you can rest and prepare for the journey ahead.

After breakfast, you will leave Kathmandu and begin your journey toward Soti Khola by jeep.  Throughout the drive, you will pass through varied landscapes to reach the trek’s starting point. The first part of the drive follows a well-paved highway with relatively smooth road conditions. As you travel, you will pass through lively towns, terraced fields, and scenic river valleys.

Upon reaching Dhading Besi, the landscape gradually becomes more rural. The road turns narrower, winding, and uneven as you continue deeper into the hills. Along the way, you will see traditional villages, farmland, and views of green hillsides. From Arughat onward, the route becomes more adventurous.

The dirt road can be bumpy, but the surroundings grow increasingly beautiful. You will drive past waterfalls, forested sections, cliffs, and the Budhi Gandaki River flowing beside the road. As you approach Soti Khola, the mountain scenery becomes more dramatic. After arrival, you will check into a local lodge, enjoy dinner, and rest for the night.

Today, you will leave the road behind and begin trekking along the Budhi Gandaki River. Soon after leaving Soti Khola, you will cross the river and enter a shaded forest path. The Manaslu Circuit Trekking route includes a mix of rocky sections, stone steps, and frequent short ascents and descents. Along the way, you will pass small settlements such as Liding and Lapubesi. The scenery constantly changes, with terraced fields, waterfalls, suspension bridges, and views of the river flowing below.

At times, the valley narrows into a gorge before opening into wider areas with sandy riverbanks and farmland. When you reach Machha Khola, you will find a small cluster of lodges and shops along the river. After a short break, the trail continues along the river, crossing small streams via simple bridges or stepping stones. Some sections of the path are narrow, so be careful with your footing, especially when encountering mule caravans.

After about an hour of steady walking, you will arrive at Khorla Besi. This quiet village sits slightly above the river and offers a peaceful atmosphere with a few lodges and basic shops. You may see monkeys and langurs along the trail.

After breakfast, you leave Khorla Besi and trek to Jagat. After a short walk, you will reach Tatopani, where you may choose to relax in the natural hot springs for a small additional fee. From Tatopani, the path goes uphill through forested sections toward Dovan. You will walk on stone steps, rocky trails, and narrow hillside tracks. Along the way, you will also see waterfalls, small streams, and villages. Lunch will be taken at Dovan or Thulo Dhunga.

Beyond Dovan, the trail becomes more adventurous. You will cross several landslide-prone areas where careful footing is required. The scenery also changes. Along the way, you will cross wooden bridges, including the long cantilever bridge near Yaru, which is known as Nepal’s first cantilever bridge.

By mid-afternoon, you will arrive at Jagat. At the entrance of Jagat, your trekking permits are checked as you officially enter the Manaslu Conservation Area. Jagat is a lively mountain settlement with several lodges and basic shops. You can spend the rest of the day enjoying the welcoming atmosphere of this traditional Himalayan village.

The walk from Jagat to Deng takes you deeper into the Manaslu region. After breakfast, you will start the day with a gentle downhill walk. Soon, you will cross a suspension bridge over a small river. A little further ahead, you will see a large and beautiful waterfall. After about an hour, you reach Salleri, a small village with green fields of rice and millet. From here, you can see Shringi Himal rising high in the distance.

The Manaslu Circuit Trek trail then follows the Budhi Gandaki River. You pass through Sirdibas, where you can see prayer flags and Buddhist monasteries. A short walk later brings you to Philim, the biggest village in this area. At Philim, your trekking permits are checked. After Phillim, the trail enters a narrow valley with steep rock walls. You continue walking until you reach Chisapani, where you usually stop for lunch.

In the afternoon, the trail becomes quieter and more peaceful. You walk through forests filled with rhododendron and pine trees. Along the way, you pass a junction where the trail to Tsum Valley separates. Continuing on the main  Manaslu Circuit Trek path, you walk through small settlements and cross another bridge before climbing gently to Deng. Deng is a small, traditional village with a few houses. It is decorated with prayer flags and mani walls. You will arrive by late afternoon and stay here overnight.

The trek from Deng to Namrung officially takes you into the Nubri Valley, a region home to indigenous people with a very old mountain culture. Your day starts by crossing a suspension bridge, followed immediately by a 20-minute zigzag climb up to Rana village. From there, you will hike steeply uphill for about two hours until you reach Bihi Phedi. Along this path, you will see beautiful mustard fields and stone walls carved with prayers, which show the deep Tibetan influence in the area.

As you move toward Ghap village, the scenery changes often. You will walk through bamboo forests and across areas where landslides have happened, so it is very important to follow your guide’s safety directions. The trail then enters lush forests filled with pine, oak, and rhododendron trees. If you are lucky, you might see white-faced monkeys looking for food near the path. After stopping for lunch in Ghap, you will walk, enjoying the sound of waterfalls and seeing ancient stone carvings.

The final part of the walk is a steady, winding climb through thick forests toward Namrung. Before you arrive, you can stop at a local organic apple farm to taste fresh fruit grown right in the mountains. Finally, the trail opens up into the beautiful Namrung village. This village is famous for its stone-paved streets, traditional wooden houses, and colorful prayer flags. It serves as a central hub for the local Lama and Gurung communities. Namrung is one of the most developed stops on the Manaslu Circuit and offers modern comforts that are rare in such a remote place.

After a relaxed breakfast at Namrung, you start trekking on a flat, easy path toward the small settlement of Banjam. From there, the trail gets much tougher with a very steep, 90-minute climb to reach the Lihi village. Lihi is a charming place with traditional houses that have pine-shingle roofs, all set against the backdrop of the distant Ganesh Himal mountains. As you hike from Lihi toward Sho Village (2,880 m), you will pass through the quiet little Lamagaon village.

Along this stretch, the views of the snowy peaks become incredibly clear. You will cross the Hinan River, which starts from the massive Linda Glacier, and walk past ancient stone prayer walls. From the top of the ridge, you can see the Pungen Glacier and get an amazing, close-up view of Peak 29 and the massive Mount Manaslu. The day ends in the beautiful Lho village, which is a major spiritual center for the area. The village is home to a large, impressive monastery (Gompa) on a hillside where over 150 children study Buddhist philosophy.

Many trekkers believe the hilltop above this monastery offers the best view of the whole trip: the famous “fishtail” shape of the Twin Manaslu Summits. While the sunset is pretty, the sunrise the next morning is the real highlight. Most people spend their evenings exploring the village or walking up to the viewpoint above the monastery for a full view of the mountains, without a difficult climb.

The trek from Lho to Sama Gaun is a shorter walk, but it is incredibly beautiful as you move higher into the mountains. Your morning begins with a spiritual visit to the Ribung Monastery in Lho. While in the monastery, you can listen to the monks chanting and blowing traditional horns while being under the shadow of Mount Manaslu.

Now, talking about today’s trek from Lho, the trail first drops down toward the Damodar Khola before turning into a two-hour hike toward the Shyala village. This part of the walk takes you through lovely pine and rhododendron forests, though there are some very steep sections to climb. When you come out of the trees into Shyala (3,500 m), you will see a spectacular 360-degree view of the surrounding peaks, including Simnang Himal, Ngadi Chuli, Naike Peak, and the massive Manaslu summits.

The final stretch of the walk is a gentle, one-and-a-half-hour downhill walk that leads you into a wide valley carved by glaciers. You will end the day in Sama Gaun, which is the largest and most important village in the region. Because of its size and history, it serves as the main base for both trekkers and professional climbing expeditions.

Taking a break to get used to the high altitude is a very important part of the Manaslu Circuit, and Sama Gaun is the perfect place for it. So, you will take an acclimatization day today. Today’s main goal is to follow the “climb high, sleep low” rule by hiking up toward Manaslu Base Camp (4,800 m). After a good breakfast, you will head north out of the village and walk over rocky, glacial ground.

The hike up to Base Camp usually takes between 3.5 and 4 hours. The air is thinner at this height, so you might find it harder to breathe. It is essential to walk at a slow, steady pace and drink plenty of water. Once you reach the camp, which sits right next to the Manaslu Glacier, you will have a front-row view of Manaslu, the eighth-highest mountain in the world. You can spend about 30 to 45 minutes exploring the area, watching climbing teams during the busy season, and taking photos of the massive icefalls and peaks.

After spending some time, you will head back down to Sama Gaun. You should arrive back at your tea house by late afternoon. This challenging day helps your body prepare for the even higher altitudes of Samdo and the Larkye La Pass that you will face later in the trek.

The walk from Sama Gaun to Samdo is short but very important. This day helps your body adjust as you move into a higher altitude. As you leave Sama Gaun, the scenery begins to change. The green forests slowly disappear, and the landscape becomes dry, rocky, and open, like a high-mountain desert. The trail is mostly flat and easy. As you continue, the views of the Manaslu range and nearby glaciers become even more impressive.

After crossing a wooden bridge over the Budhi Gandaki River, you will see that trees are no longer present. The trail then leads through an area called White Kani, where locals raise yaks. Then, crossing a final suspension bridge and completing a short, steep climb, you will arrive at Samdo (3,875 m). Since the trek takes only about 3 to 4 hours today, you will have plenty of time to rest.

Samdo is a village mainly inhabited by Tibetan refugees who settled here in the 1950s. The village has a distinct culture and traditional lifestyle. If you feel energetic, you can explore the surrounding hills or take a short acclimatization walk toward Samdo Peak. From the village, you can also see the old trading route that leads toward Tibet.

The trek from Samdo to Dharamsala, also called Larkya Phedi, is short but very challenging because of the high altitude and thin air. After leaving Samdo, the trail climbs steadily through a rugged, rocky landscape. You will pass the ruins of Larkya Bazar, an old Tibetan trading post. As you go higher, all vegetation disappears, leaving a stark, rocky environment. The only sounds are the wind and the fluttering prayer flags.

The route follows ridges and crosses small glacial streams. Even though it is only about 6.6 km, the climb feels tough at this altitude. Along the way, you will enjoy amazing views of the Manaslu mountains, which appear closer and more dramatic than ever. Dharamsala is not a permanent village but a seasonal settlement for trekkers preparing to cross Larkya La Pass.

So, facilities are basic, with about five teahouses offering simple food and shared rooms. This is a day to rest early and drink plenty of water. Most trekkers go to bed very early because the climb to Larkya La Pass starts long before sunrise the next day.

Today is the toughest but most exciting day of the Manaslu Circuit Trek. To avoid the strong afternoon winds at the high pass, you start very early, usually around 3:00–4:00 am. After a quick breakfast, you leave Dharamsala by torchlight and begin climbing through rocky terrain in the cold, thin air. The first part of the trek takes about three hours, passing a small lake and Cho Chanda before the final steep push to the top.

Reaching Larkya La Pass (5,106 m) is a huge achievement. As the sun rises, you are surrounded by incredible views of the Himalayas, including Himlung Himal (7,126 m), Cheo Himal, Kang Guru (6,981 m), and Annapurna II (7,937 m). Prayer flags flutter in the wind as you enjoy this breathtaking panorama.

The descent from the pass is long and steep. You will need to walk carefully over rocky slopes, passing four frozen lakes and seeing Pongkar Tal, a glacial lake between the Pongkar and Salpu Danda glaciers. As you go lower, the rocky, icy landscape gradually turns into grassy moraines and alpine meadows. The trail becomes gentler as the valley opens up.

Your destination for the day is Bhimtang (3,590 m), a peaceful valley known as the “Plain of Sand.” Surrounded by grazing yaks and mountain walls, it feels calm and welcoming after the harsh terrain of Larkya La. After almost ten hours of trekking, you will reach your teahouse, enjoy a good meal, and rest deeply in the fresh valley air.

On Day 13 of the trek to Manaslu Circuit, the scenery changes dramatically as you descend nearly 1,600 m from the high, glacial landscapes into the green river valleys. After breakfast, you leave Bhimtang and walk toward Yak Kharka, a wide pasture where yaks and other livestock graze.

After about an hour, you reach Surki Khola, where the landscape turns into dense forests of pine and rhododendron. The air becomes warmer and fresher, and the trail winds through ridges and woodlands toward Gho village. The walking is easier today, but you need to stay careful in areas prone to landslides along the river cliffs.

The trek ends in Tilje (2,300 m), an old Himalayan village with around 50–60 houses. Tilje was once an important stop on trade routes between the high mountains and lower valleys, and it still keeps its traditional charm with stone houses and wooden roofs. Tilje also offers a higher level of comfort compared to the past few days. The teahouses have Wi-Fi, hot showers, and electricity.

Your last day on the Manaslu Circuit begins with a filling breakfast in Tilje before you leave the trekking trails behind. The first part of the journey is a shared jeep ride of about three hours from Tilje to Beshisahar. This bumpy, scenic drive gives you one last look at the towering peaks of the Manaslu and Annapurna ranges.

Then from Beshisahar, you take a local bus back to Kathmandu. The journey takes around 7 hours and joins the Prithvi Highway before reaching the city. On arrival in Kathmandu, you will be dropped off at your hotel. After days of simple teahouses, a hot shower and the comforts of the city are especially welcoming.

In the evening, Kora Adventure hosts a farewell dinner to celebrate your achievement. It’s the perfect time to share stories with your guides and fellow trekkers, marking the official end of your incredible Manaslu Circuit adventure.

On your final day, you will get ready to leave Nepal. A Kora Adventure representative will meet you at your hotel and take you to Tribhuvan International Airport according to your flight schedule, ensuring a smooth and convenient transfer.

The memories of the Manaslu Circuit Trek will stay with you forever, and we hope to join you on more adventures in the future.